Musical instrument.



No. 757,251.' PATBNTED APR.12.1904.

' J. B. BERGLUND.

N0 MODEL.

i messesm/Bn DI:-

no. tamer.

Patented. April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHAN E. BERGLUIVD, OF SAN FRANCISCOJOALIFORNIA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,251, dated April12, 1904.

Application filed December 29, 1903. Serial No. 187,012. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, .IoHAN EMIL BERGLUND, a citizen of the UnitedStates. residing at San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MusicalInstruments; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference-being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to string musical instruments, especiallyguitars, and to certain improvements therein, as hereinafter illustratedand explained.

The improvement consists in a triple series of levers for playing chordsdisposed in different planes-namely, transverse damperlevers to act uponthe strings, long longitudinally-disposed levers to engage and depressthe damper-levers, and transverse key-levers above said long levers foroperating the latter--the whole mounted in a hinged frame attached tothe keyboard by which they can be raised from the strings.

The object of my invention is to produce musical chords, especially inplaying accompaniments, that will be exact, harmonious, and dispensewith the care, effort, and skill otherwise required in fingering suchinstruments and to permit free access to the strings for tuning withoutremoving parts.

To these ends I provide devices as illustrated in the drawings herewith,forming a part of this specification, as follows:

Figure I, a plan view of a guitar provided with my improvements; Fig.II, an enlarged plan view of the keyboard with the chord mechanismraised; Fig. III, an edge view of Fig. 11, partially in section, withthe fingerkeys in their operating position. Fig. IV is a cross-sectionon the line a a in Fig. II. Fig. V is a side View of one of the damperbars or levers.

In stringed instruments such as guitars, banjos, and the like whenemployed for playing accompaniments it is difiicult to produce with thefingers exact or harmonious chords", for the different keys also demanda high degree of trained skill. Mechanical appliances to produce chordswhen employed obstruct the strings and render tuning inconvenient. Toobviate these impediments, I provide devices as now to be described.

The body of the instrument 1 is of the usual construction, having a neckor finger-board 2 and keyboard 3, with frets I beneath the strings 5. Atthe side of the neck or fingerboard 2 is formed a ledge 7 to which ishinged the part 11, and on this is pivoted the chordproducing mechanism,consisting of the contact or damper levers 8, the operating-levers 9,and key-levers 10, the whole swinging on a hinge at 12, as shown in Fig.IV. The operating-levers 9 are provided on top with pins 13, againstwhich the key-levers 10 bear when pressed down, also a series of pins14, that bear upon the damper-levers 8, such pins being arranged for thechords in some particular key. These levers 9 can be removed and otherssubstituted for difierent keys by withdrawing the pin at 15, where theselevers are hinged to the side bars 16. The various levers are held outof contact by retractile bands or springs, as shown at 17 and 18 in Fig.III, and, as indicated in Fig. IV, the whole can be instantly raised andturned back, leaving v the strings 5 clear for tuning, the usuallatches,

as at 19, being arranged to hold the parts in proper position whenadjusted for playing.

The contact or damper levers 8 are preferably serrated metal bars ofthin section disposed in groups, as shown in Fig. III, each having oneor more contacts 20, arranged to produce (I) chords when pressed down inproper groups by either of the operating-levers 9, the latter having aseries of pins 14,

that bear on the required damper-levers 8.

The operating-levers 9 are made long to extend over the body of theinstrument and are there pivoted so the contact-pins 14 on their bottomsides will describe an arc of inconsiderable curvature, and thus actwithin the narrow space occupied by'the damper-keys 8. These levers aresupported by the side bars 16, pivoted at 21 to the part 11, as shown inFig. IV.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stringed musical instrument, chordproducing devices, consistingof transverse damper-levers to act upon the strings, longoperating-levers longitudinally disposed over these, having pins tocontact with the several damper levers, and transverse key levers abovesaid operating-levers to operate the latter, substantially as specified.

2. In a stringed musical instrument, a triple series of pivoted leversfor playing chords, namely, transverse damper-levers to act upon thestrings, long operating-levers longitudinally disposed, having pins toengage said damper-levers and depress the same, trans verse key-leversabove said operating-levers with means to engage the latter, means toantomatically raise said damper-levers after depression, and a movablehinged frame in which said triple series of levers are movably carried,substantially as specified.

3. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination with the main bodyand neck or in ger-board, a movable frame hinged to the side of saidfinger-board, and a triple series of pivoted levers for playing chords,mounted in said frame, whereby the levers can be turned back for tuningthe strings, or applied for operating the same, said levers consistingof transverse dampers to act upon the strings, longitudinaloperating-levers to engage the damper-levers, and transverse key-leversto operate the said longitudinal levers, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHAN E. BERGLUN D.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EN UIs'r, M. L. Jones.

